Chasing Waterfalls - a McRoll in the REAL World story
by Mari217
Summary: Steve and Catherine enjoy introducing Angie to a natural wonder.


_Sammy & Ilna - as always, everything we do is fun and you make every day better. Sammy thanks for the edits!_

 _REALMcRollers & Readers - you make us laugh, you make us awww and you move us to tears with your beautiful comments and messages. Thank you, as always._

 **Chasing Waterfalls**

 **Lulumahu Falls**

Steve removed Angie from the wearable baby carrier and passed her to Catherine. As he unbuckled the device, she pointed ahead and explained to their daughter, "See? That's a _waterfall_. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Your mommy loves waterfalls," Steve said, his expression softening as he watched his wife murmur to the baby.

"I really do," she beamed. "And I've been waiting for you to be old enough for a little dip in the water. It's kind of like the ocean, but it doesn't have waves." Catherine placed her forehead against the baby's and ended by rubbing noses. "And it's a little bit colder than your bath."

She ran a hand over Angie's head and adjusted the velcro on her bright yellow sun hat as Steve applied another layer of infant-safe sunscreen to the wiggling arms and legs.

When he met with a tiny impatient squeak and frown of protest, he snorted. "Insubordination will only slow down this operation, even if that expression is on one of the most beautiful faces in the world."

"Ga ga ga baaaa!" The tiny eyebrows remained knitted until Steve bent to place a few smacking kisses on the soft baby cheek. Blowing a raspberry earned him a gummy smile and a hand latching onto a fistful of his hair. "Aaah!"

Catherine chuckled at the exchange and freed her husband's hair from the tiny fist "Trust me here," she said conspiratorially, "no use arguing with Daddy about the sun block. We need it on to keep you safe." Seconds later, she singsonged, "All done!" And clapped. "Oh, look at that." She pointed towards the water again, this time at a flock of red crested cardinals. "Look at the pretty birds, Angie!" She sighed happily. "See, even birds love the waterfall."

Steve smiled at the two pairs of eyes, marveling at how much the inquisitive expression in their daughter's mimicked his wife's when she was curious about something.

"Someday I'll tell you about all the waterfalls mommy and I visited together and how…" he knelt and Catherine handed their daughter off before she did the same. "She still gets that beautiful expression every time she sees one up close.

"Aww, thank you," she said before addressing Angie. "Your daddy and I even saw the one in Venezuela that's in the movie UP! _"_ She smiled at a memory."Jacob was so excited when I told him we'd been there in person."

Steve placed a hand on Angie's back and kissed Catherine's temple. "And we've been to see the widest waterfall in the world in Zimbabwe. It's called Mosi-oa-Tonya. That means 'the smoke that thunders.'"

Catherine's eyes lit at the thought of that particular two week leave. She'd loved Victoria Falls and found it breathtaking. So much so in fact, that after they'd spent time exploring on the Zambezi River, they'd gone back twice more; to see it by air and again from the Livingstone Bridge on the Zimbabwe/Zambia border. She leaned closer to brush her lips against Steve's. "We even left the room multiple times to see it."

He smirked. "Still an amazing leave."

Her response was a saucy grin and she spread a huge blanket out and sat cross legged on one edge before resuming her conversation with Angie. "And do you know what the best thing is, sweetie?" She clapped her hands as Steve placed the baby center of the blanket on her tummy. "We have some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world right here at home." She chuckled when Angie tugged at her hat with one hand and grunted when it didn't budge. "And today you're seeing your very first one." She placed a multicolored ball in front of her daughter to distract her. "Sorry, baby girl, that stays on while you're in the sun."

"Eeee ooooh," Angie lunged forward excitedly, happy to be on the blanket so she could scoot around after being carried for the thirty minute hike. She grabbed the ball and rolled to her back.

"Let's have some water, sweetheart, you need to hydrate, okay?" Steve pulled a bottle of cool water from Catherine's pack and shook it slightly, enticing Angie to flip back over and scoot towards him. When she did, he scooped her up and kissed her, blowing another raspberry to make her laugh. "Here you go, take a sip." He offered the bottle.

Angie took a swallow, hesitated a bit and looked at Catherine, her little nose wrinkling before she settled and drank her fill.

"You were expecting formula, I know, but big girls can have some water, and you're mommy's big girl, aren't you?" She leaned in and pushed the soft hair off the baby's forehead before lifting her from Steve's lap and holding her close. "You had fun hiking with Grandma and Grandpa and now you came on a hike with Mommy and Daddy to see the pretty waterfall." She replaced the cap on the baby's bottle. "Look at the rainbows, Angie." She pointed and smiled when the baby's gaze followed hers. "See all the colors? There's red, orange, yellow…"

As she continued through the spectrum, Steve removed his shirt and held out his hands. "Let's see if you like the pool at the bottom as much as you like playing in the bathtub." He took Angie and smiled appreciatively at Catherine, who'd removed her own tank top and shorts and was wearing a new black and purple bikini.

"Let's go, baby girl … oh wait, Steve." She reached for her phone and snapped several shots of the three of them with the cascading water as background. "Okay, now we're good. First waterfall pictures ready to share." She placed the phone in her bag and walked alongside Steve and the baby to the small pool at the foot of the tiered falls.

/

"EEEEEEEE!" Angie kicked excitedly as Steve gently lowered her feet into the water. "Ahhhh EEEE!"

"She likes it! Look at you, that's Daddy's girl!" His face lit in a huge smile and Catherine's wasn't far behind.

Angie tilted forward in his arms, attempting to touch the water's surface. "She wants to splash, like in the tub," Catherine pointed out. Excitement for another of their daughter's firsts and absolute joy at the look on Steve's face momentarily stole her breath. When she found her voice she cooed, "You love water just like Daddy, don't you, baby girl?"

He held her parallel to the water and Angie slapped it happily. She looked a bit startled when she splashed her face, but repeated the movement undeterred, announcing "Bababababaaaaa!"

Steve passed her to Catherine and when she was settled facing outward in her arms, tiny life vest against her mommy's torso, he called, "Angie!" and ducked under the surface.

"Where's Daddy?" Catherine exclaimed happily.

Looking slightly puzzled, Angie called, "Ah ah ah!" and kicked her feet, bursting into adorable baby-laughter when her daddy reappeared and shook the water off like a dog before tickling her belly and ducking under again.

Ten minutes later, Angie's movements were slower and her giggles began to grow sleepy.

"I think somebody's ready for a nap," Catherine said as she passed the baby to Steve and climbed out of the water, turned, and waited for him to hand off their daughter.

Removing the vest and reaching for the hooded ducky towel - another Elizabeth purchase for beach days - in her bag at the water's edge, Catherine wrapped Angie and snuggled her close. "Let's get you out of that swimmy diaper and all warmed up so you can take a nice long nap," she whispered softly to the already dozing baby.

/

On the hike back to the car, Angie looked around happily from her perch on Steve's chest. The minute her mother strapped her into the carseat, she sighed and began to doze again.

Catherine glanced up to see Steve had stepped a few yards away and was talking to a group of boys about Grace's age. He didn't say much, but the kids were wide-eyed and shaking their heads when he gestured back towards where he and Catherine had hiked with Angie. By the time he finished, the kids were nodding and he turned back towards the car.

"The fresh air and water tired her out," he said as climbed into the car and saw Angie. "She loved the waterfall. She would have stayed in the pool if we let her." He'd timed the dip in the water on his watch's stopwatch feature to the exact number of minutes his book suggested were ok for Angie to spend in the freshwater pool based on age, air and water temperature.

His grin was huge when Catherine pointed out, "Like father, like daughter." She buckled her seatbelt and turned to him. "Lulumahu was a good choice. A nice short hike and and easy one." She waved to where he'd spoken to the boys and raised her brows.

He shook his head. "I heard one of 'em mention the jump spot. I told them it was a bad idea."

"Ah. Did Commander McGarrett set them straight?"

He nodded with a smirk.

"Ohh, there's a story there, I know that smirk." She pointed. "You know it's a bad idea from experience."

He glanced at her as he put the car in drive and tried to quash his grin. "On the hike to the waterfall there's a cliff jumping spot. Every kid I knew talked about trying it."

"And my usual question applies. Does this story end with stitches?"

"Since the cliff isn't a cliff, it's a water tower, there's been a lot of stitches. Not for me, I was talked out of it."

A grin of her own formed and she raised a brow. "Really?"

"Michael's dad got wind of him telling another kid he wanted to try it and called my dad. Dad had a friend who was a very experienced diver explain how two guys in like ten years got badly hurt. One lost months of school with a broken pelvis." He shook his head. "I haven't thought of that conversation in twenty five years. When I overheard those kids it came back." He caught her eyes when he rolled to stop at a light. "I told them the story and said it's a bad idea - not to mention illegal. Then I introduced myself."

"They were looking at you in awe, they didn't need an introduction." She placed a hand on his leg and squeezed gently. "I'm sure they changed their minds."

"You know …"

"Hmmm?"

"Fifteen years ago I wouldn't have explained. I would have told them it's a bad idea, don't do it and walked away."

"Fifteen years ago you didn't have a whole lot of kids in your life that look up to you." She glanced at Angie, who was making a little smiley face as she slept. "And one that calls you daddy."

He returned his eyes to the road as the light went green, but not before placing his hand over hers and bringing it to his lips. "Thank you."

"For?" He head tilted in question.

He shrugged and smiled. "As usual, everything."

#End thanks for reading.

/

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